Capped
by xLaurie-Chanx
Summary: Itsuki's emotions were just like wine that would remain capped forever in his own private wine cellar. And if the wine would ever be uncapped, the effects would be horrid.
1. Prologue

Hello there ^^ My name is Lauren, and I'm pretty new to the world of fanfictions. Well.. kind of but not really. I used to write fanfictions about ItsuxHaru all the time! But they weren't exactly professional… So I hope you enjoy my new style of writing!

Oh! One more thing; Of course, here's a _**disclaimer:**_ I do not own the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, it's greatness belongs to the great Nagaru Tanigawa! {We thank you for this amazing yet mysterious series, sir!}

Well, here it is, please, enjoy and review ^^;

"The vine bears three kinds of grapes: the first of pleasure, the second of intoxication, the third of disgust."

-_Diojenes_

**Prologue**

Most people have a place. 

A crowd of people they can follow- friends.  
Most people are known for something, an attitude, an appearance, an accomplishment.  
But then there are others, who live life without ever being recognized for what they do. The understudies. 

Itsuki Koizumi was an understudy. Sure, he was known.  
Sure, he had friends. But were these people truly his friends? Could he really count on them in the time of need? Could anyone truly understand his melancholy?

It started three years ago. Itsuki would remember this time for the rest of his life as Pain.  
He was confused, alone, and scared. Three years ago, Itsuki became an Esper.  
What was an Esper? What did this mean? Itsuki couldnt find the answer by himself. He needed help.  
This is where the organization came in. They took him in, as one of their own. The taught him what he needed to know. What he was and what he needed to do.

Haruhi Suzumiya.  
They taught him that Haruhi Suzumiya was the ultimate. She held the key to this earth, and she decided when the key needed to be replaced.  
It all depended on him and the Organization; they kept this world sane, if only for a day. When Haruhi had her outbursts, the Espers could help. They would defend our world, that was their job.  
What was the pay?

Keeping their world, friends, and memories.  
How could Itsuki possibly be an understudy when he was the one secretly saving the world?  
Well, thats where Kyon came in.  
Who was Kyon? Kyon was the real hero. It all depended on his actions.  
Haruhi had chosen him, to be her right-arm man. When she was down, it was Kyons actions and his alone that brought her up. Sure Itsuki could fight off the Shinji, but Kyon was the real one that held Haruhis hand with the world. Why had Haruhi chosen Kyon, and not Itsuki? This was a question he thought daily.  
Could it be that Kyon was the first to actually speak to the mysterious Haruhi? He was, in fact, the first one she ever opened up to.

Itsuki had known about Miss Suzumiya far in advance, before he actually got to meet her. He always thought of her as a mysterious person, and never thought that shed seem so real. The Haruhi he pictured in his mind held much more power, and showed it in her appearance. Itsuki knew that he had strong feelings for Suzumiya far before he met her as well. But when he actually met her-  
That pulled the trigger.  
He was accepted into Haruhis famous SOS Brigade quickly, and then became Deputy Chief. Was this a good thing? Did Haruhi actually care for Itsuki so much that shed rank him Deputy Chief?  
Of course not. It was his can-do attitude he faked daily. Every day, Itsuki would wear his plastic smile that weighed down his real emotions. Very few got to see Itsukis real emotions, and Kyon was one of them. It seemed that no matter what way you looked at it, everyone was opening up to Kyon. What was so special about Kyon? Was he really the only normal human in this world?  
Was everyone in this world some kind of paranormal figure besides him?  
Itsuki really couldnt answer his own questions. Why did he fancy Miss Suzumiya? Why did he become an Esper? Why did fate choose him?  
Itsuki had to keep most of his emotions bottled up, along with these questions. For what reason?  
All to keep his Goddess happy.  
These emotions and questions, were kept locked up in a cabinet that most likely no one would ever unlock. Like wine that would only be used for decoration Itsuki hoped that these bottles of wine would never crack, leak, or spill. If so, serious damage could be caused. Damage that could lead to an end.


	2. Food for Thought

Hello again! Lauren-chan here, and thanks so much for clicking on this link to the next chapter! This is a really short chapter I have to admit, but I promise you things will get better along the way! Now, onto the disclaimer!

**I do not own _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ in any way. I am simply a fan making stuff for fans... If I owned anything I think some things might have changed a bit.. Oh, I know! I'd obivously include all the theories I'd ever heard/read about each of the characters! Like Mikuru is really a suspicious little thing, and Itsuki is a person full of angst. Yes I know, yay angst~ Don't we just love to read about other people's angst...? XD**

* * *

People were always judging other people. Making assumptions before they even knew the person. Haruhi had wished for a mysterious transfer student to transfer into North High, and boy did she ever get one.

But really, was Itsuki really such a mysterious person? Or did he just become serious because Haruhi wished for it..?

* * *

Itsuki sat in the bustling local café. He poked at his food as he watched people pass by his table over and over again. Conversations consisted of;

"Whadda' wanna do later today?"

"Guess what happened yesterday?!"

"Put that down!" and

"Last night was really something, huh?"

Itsuki shifted his eyes from his plate to the window next to him. It was eye-burningly bright outside today, people were everywhere. People having picnics near the center fountain, people running around with their children, and people carrying multiple bags from the mall close by.

A young waitress skipped over to his table. "Excuse me sir, how is your food?" She asked in her cutesy voice. Itsuki picked up his chopsticks, lifted a few grains of rice to his mouth, swallowed and smiled elegantly. "It's quite good. Thank you."

The girl's cheeks flushed red as she nodded and ran off. Itsuki chuckled softly. There was something about him that seemed to attract mindless young women. His eyes shifted once more from his food to a familiar voice.

"Table for one, please," The feminine voice said.

"Right this way, Miss." Her waitress beamed. Their footsteps flowed past Itsuki, revealing the voice's identity.

"Koizumi?" Haruhi stopped in her tracks to face him.

"Miss Suzumiya," He smiled.

"…Miss?" The waitress piped in.

"Is it okay if I sit with this man? We know each other." Haruhi asked. The waitress nodded and ran off. Haruhi took her seat across from Itsuki.  
"What brings you here?" Itsuki asked, still smiling.

"Here for food like everyone else. Did someone arrange a club meeting without me notice?" Haurhi's eyes narrow.

"Not at all, Miss Suzumiya. I'm here simply for the same reason as you."

Haruhi rested her cheek in her palm. "Might as well sit with a school mate…" She mumbled to herself.

Itsuki continues to smile casually, but he couldn't help but wonder; why had Haruhi Suzumiya gone out of her way to talk to him, the smiling idiot, in her own spare time?

The waitress made her way back to Haruhi. "Miss, what would you like to e-"

"The chicken and rice or whatever it is." Haruhi replied, cutting the waitress off mid-sentence.

"Y-Yes ma'am!" The waitress mumbled as she ran off to the kitchen.  
"….So, Miss Suzumiya, do you have anything planned for today?" Itsuki asked.

"If I did I wouldn't be here right now." She sighed.

Bored with him already, it seemed.

Haruhi's eyes shifted to the window as she watched a young women chase her child around the fountain. Itsuki's eyes followed hers, he laughed quietly at his own private joke.

"What're you laughing about?" Haruhi asked in an annoyed tone.

"I think it's rather interesting to watch how different children act to their parents. For example, this young mother is having quite some time trying to catch her rather rambunctious child. If you look over here-" Itsuki gestures to a family of a mother, father, and daughter having a picnic together-"This family is having a peaceful afternoon having lunch together." Haruhi looked at Itsuki with a blank face. "…Stop talking, will you?"

Itsuki folded his hand on the table's surface and smiled.

"M-Miss…. You're food is ready…" Suddenly a waitress appeared in front of their table with a steaming bowl.

Haruhi grabbed the bowl without hesitation and instantly began shoving the food into her face.

Itsuki's smile grew a bit wider as he watched Haruhi shovel piles of chicken and rice into her mouth. "You have quite the appetite, don't you Miss Suzumiya?"

"I'm a busy girl; I gotta eat every one and a while." She replied with her mouth full.  
"...Have you ever thought about having your own family, Miss Suzumiya?" Itsuki asked quietly.

Haruhi froze just as she was about to lift another mouthful of rice to her lips.

"What are you talking about?!"

Itsuki smiled and stood up slowly, digging in his pocket.

Just as he was about to turn, a waitress tapped him on the shoulder.

"…That would be 200 yen, sir." She said quietly as she nodded to his empty plate. "Ah… Yes. This is for her and I's bill…" Itsuki smiled as he handed the waitress 450 yen. The waitress nodded and skipped off once more.

"Koizumi…"

"Enjoy your day, Miss Suzumiya. Please, don't have too much fun without us, though." Itsuki said as he walked out of the building, leaving Haruhi alone with her bowl of rice and chicken half empty.

"What's with him…?" Haruhi shook her head and began eating once more.


	3. The First Disgust

Hey guys! Welcome back to the fanfiction Capped!

If you're wondering why I named it that o~o Well, that's because it has something to do with wine xD Basically, this whole fanfiction has to do with wine! Isn't that amazing? I guess I'm just really obsessed with wine... Ah, I'm just kidding. Sure I compair some things to wine, but I'm not even 21 yet!

Well whatever you get out of this, I at least hope you enjoy it! Now onto the disclaimer!

**I do not own _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ in any way shape and/or form! The only way that would be possible is if there was a situation like _The Disappearance..._**

**

* * *

**

Itsuki lay on his bed, his right arm slouching over its side. His other arm was wrapped around his forehead, as if it was shielding his eyes from something. He looked pitiful. Itsuki's eyes shifted around his room, and then finally settled back on the dark ceiling he was staring at before. He took a deep breath, shaking slightly, and closed his eyes.

"What had come over me?" He asked himself. "She must have been frightened." Ever since he had left the café, Itsuki had felt a weird feeling in his gut. Almost like the guilty feeling a small child would get knowing that he colored on the wall while his parents were away. He had never been with Haruhi alone before, the feeling of them alone together must have gotten to his head. He would never ask Miss Suzumiya such a question.

_It could be… that I long for her sympathy_. He thought to himself. _Although Miss Suzumiya will never give me sympathy, she doesn't know me that well… and she never will._

"..Have you ever though about having your own family, Miss Suzumiya?" He had asked.

Itsuki shook his head at the memory. _Of course she hasn't thought about having a family._

_And defiantly not starting one with myself._ He confessed to himself.

Itsuki removed his arm from his head and brought it to his waist, opening his eyes to still find total darkness among his room. _Or possibly…I asked her that question because of my family…_

At this thought, his mind rushed with memories.

**Disturbing memories.**

* * *

"Itsuki~" A music voice called from downstairs.

"I-I'm almost there!" Itsuki called from his room, sliding on his long sleeved shirt. He ran from his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen where his mother stood, her hands on her hips.

"You need to stop staying up so late at night, Itsuki. It's causing you your sleep! Do you know how important it is for a teenager to get his sleep?!" She scolded him.

Itsuki nodded. "I've had a lot of homework the past couple days… I'm sorry…" He quickly grabbed an apple and took a small bite, his mother staring at him. "So you're not having breakfast with me this morning?" She asked.

"I have places to be, people waiting on me." He said with his mouth full of apple.

"You're thirteen! What kind of people are waiting on you?!"

"..I have friends." He replied. "We're starting a project that's due when we get back to school. We want to get it done early so that we have time to do other things during the break."

"…Just be back before dinner." His mother sighed. "Your father's coming home tonight and he's very excited to see you again."  
Itsuki's lips lifted into a smile. "I'll be back." He said as he slipped on his jacket, then his shoes, then out the door.

Itsuki's mother shook her head and smiling. "I miss my teenage days…" She laughed to herself and continued washing the dishes in the sink.

Itsuki's feet flew along the ground as he raced across the city. He was meeting Takeshi, Nastsuo, and Satoshi at the city's large community park. He lived close enough, so it wasn't much of an adventure getting over there. Itsuki had always enjoyed walking along the only crosswalk he had to cross to get there, though. He took a quick glance at his watch, only to find that he had ten minutes until he'd be late to meet the group. Itsuki was never late.

He could see the crosswalk that was along the car-filled road, it was about 54 seconds away. He ran as fast as his feet could take him, and when he finally reached the crosswalk, he stopped dead in his tracks. Cars flew along the road; there was no break in traffic for miles. Itsuki took another glance at his watch; he still had nine minutes to make it there. Cars buzzed past him, making his hair fly into his face.

The longer Itsuki stood, the more awkward he felt. He loved crossing the crosswalk, but there was an odd reason for that.

For some reason, the past couple days he had crossed this cross walk, Itsuki would get a very weird feeling inside of him. Almost as if someone was watching him… Of course, nobody was stalking him; Itsuki was probably just imagining things. This feeling didn't scare him, not yet. It actually made him excited. But this time, the feeling was almost too strong to handle.

Cars continued to zoom past Itsuki, the wind that flew along with him sent a chill down his spine. Itsuki had to get away from this place. It felt dangerous…

Looking around, he took a step forward, not minding the many cars still flying past the crosswalk he was about to run on.

_If I'm late they're gonna kick my ass._

His foot touched the white lines painted onto the road, and the feeling only became stronger. The hair on Itsuki's arms began to stick up, goose bumps formed on every inch of his skin. This feeling was different from the ones he would get whenever he'd cross this crosswalk. This time, he felt as if he was feeling someone else's emotions. Whoever this person was, he or she wasn't happy at all.

Itsuki quickly took another step onto the crosswalk, and started to run as fast as he could.

"What the hell is that kid doing?!"

"Somebody get him outta there!"

"He's gonna kill himself!"

He heard honking, people yelling, and tires screeching. He looked up, to find a car coming right his way. As he ran faster, the loud noises got louder. The crosswalk he was crossing looked as if it was miles long. Itsuki's legs began to burn, as if he'd been running in some kind of marathon. He couldn't outrun this car coming toward him. He stopped in the middle of the road, as the car was inches away from him.

When he closed his eyes, all he could see were memories.

Memories of birthdays, memories of school, memories of… A girl.

She was angry. She was sad. She was happy.

She met friends, she lost friends, and then she was angry. And then she was sad.

She had her first boyfriend, he was just a human. She dumped him, he was angry. She was sad.

But one theme seemed to reoccur in with this girl's life.

**Nobody understood her.**

_Who is this…?_

They weren't his memories.

Itsuki Koizumi, who stood in the middle of a crosswalk with a car about to hit him, was in utter confusion. He wasn't scared, he was confused.

As the car continued to what seemed like _slowly_ pull toward Itsuki, he shut his eyes tighter, totally prepared for his death.

But, the strangest thing happened.

He was still breathing.

Itsuki Koizumi was still alive, after running into on-coming traffic.

With his fists tightly clenched at his sides, he took in a ragged breath.

_There's no way I can still be alive._

Every sound was fading. There was no more honking, screeching, or any voices.

Everything was silent.

He still stood in the same spot he was when he was 'hit'. But… Nobody was here. Itsuki slowly opened his eyes and looked down, the white lines of the crosswalk were still under his feet, but where had the cars gone? Itsuki patted his hands all around his body, checking for any injuries he might have gotten from the accident.

_There's _no _way…._

He continued to study his surroundings, but there wasn't too much to where he was. All the sidewalks were bare, all the roads empty.

Itsuki picked up his feet and continued to cross the crosswalk hesitantly. "Maybe I really am dead…"

Where ever he was, he would have never imagined that his afterlife would take place in a land so full of…Melancholy.

When Itsuki reached the end of the crosswalk, the feeling of anger that wasn't his started to rise. What was this? Whatever it was, it was calling to him.

Itsuki stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and brushed his hand against the building next to him to make sure where ever was that it was real and not a dream.

_There has to be someone here. These emotions… aren't coming from myself._

_I need to find this person. This person needs… Comfort._

Itsuki looked down the sidewalk to find still nothing. He picked up his head and ran, the farther he ran, the more angry this person would get. _Why are you so angry? Please tell me…_

He continued to run, and the emotions continued to get stronger. Were these emotions really his? There's no way they could be.. Itsuki had never felt so angry in his life. Ever.

He had nothing to be angry bout. _Yet._

Itsuki heard a loud crash from far away. He turned his head to the source of the crash, only to find something completely disturbing.

A giant… Blue thing.

"What on earth…?"

The thing was huge; about six times bigger than a 12 story building. It had the figure of a human, but there's no way that it actually was human.

It had no face, just a couple of red dots that didn't even match up to the same size.

As this thing continued to swing around its massive arms, causing buildings to crumble, Itsuki stood in utter shock.

"There's no way that this thing could hold its own weight…" Itsuki mumbled to himself as he continued to watch the blue figures destroy his city.

Where the hell was he? What kind of afterlife has massive blue creatures as tall as the sky?

The blue mass continued to take out buildings, one after another. Itsuki couldn't pick up his feet. His legs were as heavy as led. Was this blue thing going to destroy him, too?

The monster's head turned to Itsuki's direction, and stopped all actions.

Itsuki's eyes widened. This thing was going to kill him.

The mass picked up its huge legs and took a booming step, shaking Itsuki.

_You have to run, stupid! Run!_ His brain told him.

But he couldn't. So, was he going to die twice in one day? Was that even possible?

The blue mass took another powerful step, each of its steps equaling about three miles.

Its legs were too long…

_Run damn it! You must run!_ His brain continued to shout. Itsuki picked up his foot slowly, and then began a dead sprint. He could hear the monster's loud footsteps close by.

He saw the crosswalk where he thought he'd entered close by, and ran with all his might back to that crosswalk.

_There has to be a way out of here. There's no way that this is where I belong in the afterlife._ He told himself.

As he reached the crosswalk, he ran out into the middle where he had last seen the truck, and hoped that this was the way out. As he took a centimeter step past the middle of the crosswalk, he hit something. He looked up, to find nothing.

"The hell..?"

He reached out his hand, only to find that it stopped right as it should have gone passed the space in the middle of the crosswalk.

"What is this, a joke?"

He continued to press his hand against nothing. What could this be? Was he really trapped in this hell-hole?

Itsuki looked back, to find the giant blue monster standing about 7 miles away from him.  
It was just standing… But why?

He looked closer to find bird-size glowing balls of red light.

"…"

They stood still for a few seconds, but then instantly started moving at a speed that seemed faster than sound. All that Itsuki could make out were gleaming streaks of red that flew around the giant. They cut through the giant, causing its arm to fall off slowly. The place where its arm should have been was now pouring out what seemed like blue sand, but what kind of monster is made of sand? The red beams of light quickly tore apart the monster, until there was no more left of it. The beams slowed down to where Itsuki could count them before they disappeared; there were three.

Suddenly Itsuki heard a loud crack from above. He looked up to find the grey sky above him…_cracking._ Each hole in the sky brought a small ray of light into the dark place, but the small light hole quickly expanded into bright red cracks that creeped along the sky. Itsuki stood quietly, staring at the sky. What else was there to do? Where ever he was, it was about to be destroyed.

Buildings all around him began to shake, and eventually cracked along with the sky. And before he knew it;

Itsuki was back at the crosswalk, a car heading straight for him. He picked up his feet and ran across the small sidewalk, finally reaching the other side of the sidewalk.

Itsuki leaned against the building next to him, gasping for air. The space he was in before, full of nothingness and darkness, and was now filled with lights, people and noise.

"…What the hell is going on with me?"


	4. The First Disgust Continued

Hello all~

Welcome to the next instalment of Capped! This chapter will be continuing from Itsuki's flashback of when he first got his Esper-like powers, incase you are confused about what's going on here xD The parts where Itsuki is talking with his mother were really fun to write about, considering I could do so much with them because we never get to meet or ever hear about Itsuki's mother or father in the series. As always, please enjoy this fanfiction!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ in any way. I am just a crazy fan writing fanfictions for other fans!

"Mom!" Itsuki shouted as he ran into his house. He threw his shoes off in a hurry and ran into the kitchen, which was completely empty.

"Mom!" He yelled once more.

…Still no answer.

"Mom?" He ran from the kitchen and into the front room, which was also empty. Itsuki's heat beat fast.

_Don't tell me that whatever's going on has gotten to her too!_

He ran up the stairs, and when he reached the top he almost fell flat on his face. Apparently, what ever went on back at the cross walk was seriously effecting his balance.

"Mom!" Itsuki continued to yell, opening bedroom doors to only find nothing still. He raced back downstairs, tripping on his foot. Luckily he caught onto the rail of the stairs before he tumbled down the steep steps.

He picked himself back up, and ran back into the front room and to the sliding glass door that separated him from his small backyard. He slid open the door. "Mom!" He yelled outside. "Where are you?"

With still no answer, he slammed the door closed and turned around, tears burning in his eyes. These tears were actually his, not someone else's.

He stumbled backwards, his back hitting against the wall. He slouched down until his body reached the floor, and buried his face in his hands.

_What if my mother lost her life because I didn't?_

Suddenly Itsuki heard the door front door creek open. He slowly lifted his head, he did not want any more complications in his life at the moment.

"Itsuki! What on earth are you screaming for?" A familiar musical voice rang.

Itsuki's eyes lit up at the sight of his mother's angered face. "Mom!" He shouted once more, this time his voice filled with relief, as he heaved himself up to tightly hug his mother.

She patted his back softly. "Honestly Itsuki." She sighed. "I step out the house for an hour to buy food and you're a mess without me."

"I'm sorry…" He said taking a step back. "I thought…"

"What did you think, that I died or something?" His mother laughed. "What a silly thought! You're too attached to me." She said, patting his head.

"Mom… Have you ever had the feeling of an emotion that's not yours?" Itsuki asked quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Itsuki's mother's eyes glinted with a hint of worry.

"When I was going out to meet my friends…I had the strangest feeling… I've been having strange feelings that past couple days I've been crossing that crosswalk, but this one was out of control, really." He said.

"…I-Itsuki…"

Itsuki ran a hand through his long hair. "I was really scared, so I… I ran out into traffic."

"Are you serious? Why did you do that?" His mother's face turned red in anger.

"I thought that if I got away from that place that the feeling would go away…"  
"I-Itsuki, we have to take you to a hospital to make sure you're okay!"

"Mom, please let me finish." Itsuki said, his face totally serious.

"..At least take a seat and finish, okay?" She said as she sat down on the sofa next to them.

Itsuki hesitantly took a seat next to her, and inhaled a calming breath.

"When I ran into the traffic, I believe I was hit by a car."

"…"

"I know, I shouldn't be alive. But I'm not sure if I am or not. You see, when I thought I should have been hit, I entered… this space… I had no idea where I was. But then the feeling of this other person's emotions only became stronger. So I went looking for this person, but the whole space was blank. The skies were grey and nobody was there. Nothing moved."

Itsuki's mother's eyes grew wide.

"But there was one thing that did move; it was huge and blue. It looked like a monster. It was as tall as the skies, and was tearing apart everything in sight. This thing looked at me, as if it knew me and was glad to see me, but then it started chasing me. I tried to run, but there was no way out of the space I was in. Until these red beams of light destroyed the blue monster… and then everything returned to normal.

"Itsuki, are you feeling alright?" His mother asked, scanning him up and down.

"I don't know…"

Itsuki's mother gasped. "Did your friends pressure you into doing drugs?"

"Mom, I promise, I'm not doing any kind of drug." Itsuki assured her.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Stand up, young man."

Itsuki quickly stood as his mother began to search all his pockets. Did she seriously think that his story was that crazy?

She took a step back, finding nothing. "I swear, if I ever find you doing any kind of drug…" She didn't have to finish. Itsuki knew that it wouldn't be good. But why would he do dugs? He had no reason. His school had taught him that drugs were no good.

"Mom…?"

"Yes Itsuki?" She sighed. He face was filled with stress.

"Do you think I'm…Crazy?"

"…Of course not, Itsuki." She managed to stifle a small smile.

Bull shit.

Of course she thought he was crazy. After that awkward afternoon, she had sent Itsuki to therapy.

Countless hours of therapy.

All the doctors thought he was crazy and couldn't understand anything he was talking about. It seemed that there was no cure for what when through Koizumi's mind the day he entered that mysterious space.

Until, he stumbled upon the space a second time.

It happened the same way it had the first time, he was just minding his own business, crossing the crosswalk. When suddenly, everything went grey. There was nobody around him, and nothing moved except for him.

And then he found the blue monsters again. He ran, and ran and ran until he could no longer run., and he still couldn't get past the crosswalk. He was scared shitless, even though he knew that he would end up fine again.

How did he know this? He found the beams of red light again. They once again destroyed the monster effortlessly, but this time, instead of disappearing after their task was completed, they flew closer and closer to Itsuki. When they finally reached him he found that they weren't 'beams' at all. They were… Huge spheres with people inside.

…Maybe Itsuki really was on drugs.

The sphere part of these three people quickly vanished as soon as the touched the ground.

These people looked completely normal, but there was no way they could be.

One of them, was an old man with white hair. Another was a young girl with brown hair pulled into pony-tails. The last was a boy about three years older than him, and looked very fit for his age. The older man slowly stepped forward.

"Little one… How did you get here?" He asked, his voice quiet and low.

"I really have no idea…" Itsuki mumbled, his eyes wide.

The old man and the young women exchanged glances.

"…We're going to have to take you with us for a moment or too… Would you mind that?" He asked softly.

Itsuki shook his head.

It's not like anyone was waiting for him back at home.

The three took Itsuki to a small building a few minutes out of town. When Itsuki stepped inside, he felt as if he was in a horror movie. The room was almost completely empty; the only thing in the room was a large table with six chairs places around it. The walls were wooden but seriously beat up, along with the wood floors. There were no windows, it was as if these people didn't want to be known by society. The old man and the other two took their seats at the table as Itsuki stood in the door way.

"Come on now, have a seat." The old man insisted.

Itsuki slowly walked over to the table and took a seat across the table from the three.

"Now boy… You said you didn't know how you got into… That strange space we were in before. Now tell me, have you been having any strange feelings lately?"

Itsuki folds his hands onto the table's top. "Yes, I have. But they usually only occur when I'm near the crosswalk… But I have found that lately the feelings pop up at random."

The old man lifts an eye brow. "Could you explain these feelings at all to us?"

"…I feel as if I'm connected with someone; I can feel their emotions. I know their not mine because this person is always so filled with anger and melancholy, and I have no reason to have such feelings." Itsuki explained softly.

The old man exchanges glances with the other two at the table.

"Young boy, We've asked you to come here with us because we feel what you feel. But first, if you would like us to explain anything any further, we need you're approval and dedication. After you leave this room, you will be fully aware of what those feelings are. You may think that you're going crazy, but we assure you, you're perfectly sane… For the moment. But you must know, once you hear this information we're about to tell you, you may not tell anyone. You will also be needed… You will have to change yourself more than you can imagine."

Itsuki tapped his foot against his leg. "I'll be needed… Is this some kind of job?"

"You could call it a job." The old man smiles softly.

"…I would like to know more about what's going on." Itsuki decided.

"Very well then." The old man's smile grows wider. "First of all, these emotions you're feeling are defiantly not yours, and we're surprised that you figured that out so quickly. These emotions belong to someone else… And the reason why you're feeling them is because you've been chosen by this person."

"…Chosen to what?" Itsuki asked.

"Chosen to become something that you could call an 'esper'."

Itsuki's mouth formed into a straight line. "Does that mean you three are 'espers' as well?"

The old man nods. "My name is Arakawa, and this is Sonou Mori and Yutaka Tamaru. We also have another member name Keiichi Tamaru, but he is absent today."

"…Nice to meet you all, my name is Itsuki Koizumi." Itsuki smiles softly.

"Koizumi, I hoped you're prepared for a long adventure. Being an 'esper' is hard work in many ways."

"I see… But before I agree to anything else, I would like to know what that space was that I entered."

"That space is what you could say an alternate world. We call it 'Closed Space'. It's a place where a young girl by the name of Haruhi Suzumiya can take out her strong emotions…" Arakawa says softly. "You'll soon learn that Haruhi Suzumiya is no ordinary human. She possess powers far from us."

"Like what?" Itsuki asks.

"She can destroy this world on whim." Arakawa says, he face mixed with emotions.

Serious.  
Worried.  
Curious.

Beaming.

Was being an esper really that hard of a job? From what Itsuki had seen in closed space, the job looked fairly easy.

"

"Interesting… Are those her emotions I feel?"

"Indeed. Those emotions are important, it tells us when a Closed Space appears. Our job as 'espers', is to destroy Closed Space, as you've seen earlier. The blue masses that often tear apart things in Closed Space, are also linked to Suzumiya. When she's sad or angry, she uses them to take out her anger. That's why they're destroying things. You see, if we didn't get rid of them, they'd soon break out of Closed Space and eventually the world would be re-created."

"…So, does that mean that that responsibility is also mine now?" Itsuki asks, an eye brow lifting slightly.

"Indeed. That is part of your duty as an 'esper', Itsuki Koizumi."


	5. Enter, Okaito!

Hey guys ^^ Laurie-Chan here, and welcome to the fith chapter of Capped! I've been pretty obsessed with Vampire Knight lately, plus my Microsoft Word is locked... If you're wondering why I haven't updated in a while. Well, here it is, enjoy! (I used the wordpad... lol)

I'd also like to thank my good friend (starspatter) for always reviewing my work and helping me out a lot with revisions and ideas xP! I lav you~

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in any way, shape, or form. Although I wish I did...

* * *

The grass, once green and crisp with the fresh scent of Summer, was now dry, brown, and withered.

The skies, once a cloudless baby blue, were now black and crowded with dark puffs.

The people, once flued with the excitement of finally warm days and burnt by the sun, were now sluggish and cold, their cheeks painted with a soft pink from the airs bitter cold wind.

This was the sign that the dreaded yet loved season Winter had arrived. With Winter came New Years, with Winter came beautiful snow, with Winter came Winter Vacation, a holiday most High Schoolers blessed. Haruhi of course, would waste no time deciding on what her brigade would be doing on Winter Break. If any of them thought that they'd have a quiet vacation sitting at home by the fire, boy were they in for a surprise.

It was only expected from Haruhi to plan a vacation to look for Aliens on a mysterious island or something. But surprisingly, she would let this trips destination a surprise to her members until they arrived.

The group sat on a quiet bus. There were only a few other passengers besides them. The bus puffed along narrow roads along the fielded side of Japan. Soft up-beat music was heard from the buses speakers.

"What is Haruhi planning this time?" Kyon sighed, leaning his head agaisnt his seat. Koizumi, sitting close by on Kyon's left, shrugged softly as he continued to stare out the window. "Miss Suzumiya was hoping that our destination would remain a surprise... But judging from today's crowd here, I believe we might be headed to a small village of sorts..." Itsuki stated softly.

"What business does Haruhi have there. Villages are calm, unlike her." Kyon grumbled. Itsuki laughed musically. "It's a perfect place for her to investigate. Quiet places aren't always as they seem." He smiled softly.

Oh how that smiled annoyed Kyon.

The bus turned onto a small gravel road, trees filled its sides. The bus continued to rev along the road, rocks flying up at its sides, small "_tnk" _noises could be heard over the soft music and quiet conversations between Haruhi and Mikuru as Nagato sat quietly near by them. The bus finally stopped at a small bus stop. It was a bench covered by a small platform with a roof. The few unknown passengers scurried off, with Haruhi pulling Mikuru and Nagato with her shortly after, leaving their bags behind uncared for.

Kyon stood with a soft sigh to pick up Haruhi and Mikuru's bags along with his own, and stumbled off the bus. Itsuki followed, with his bags and Nagato's. Once the two boys were off the bus, it rolled away slowly, huffing and puffing down the long gravel road. The bus stop was on a hill, it overlooked the valley of the small town.

The town was a quiet and beautiful. If it wasn't Winter, green would be all that could've been seen. But because of the bitter cold, the thousands of plants were dried and grey. There weren't very many houses, and almost all of them had their own property. Open land was everywhere, the town was a very natural place with almost no public buildings.

Haruhi stood with her hands on her hips, smiling at the view of the town. "This place hasn't changed one bit!" She sing-songed. Kyon dropped the bags he was carrying at his side. "Where are we?" He asked, scratching his head, unfamiliar with this part of Japan.

"Hold on! Can't you see I'm trying to enjoy this view?" Haruhi squaked back at him. "But we're already here! Just tell us!" Kyon shot back at her.

"M-Miss Suzumiya..." Mikuru's quiet voice hummed. "T-this place...-" She was inturrupted by a loud voice from affar.

"Hey! Suzumiya!" A feminie voice shouted. Haruhi squinted her eyes, finding a womenly figure running up the hill to the bus stop. "Long time no see!" The voice continued. Haruhi smiled. "Arai! Get up here! I haven't seen you in years!" She shouted back, waving for the women to come over to the group.

As the women came closer, her figure was more notable. She had long dark hair, it swished back and forth as she ran forward. She was lean, her legs and waist small. She wore a long black coat that fell just past her mid-thigh, it was matched with black stockings and flats. She also wore a white scarf, black mittens and earmuffs. When she finally reached the group, all her features were notacible. Her face was small, as was the rest of her. Her eyes were a soft brown, her lips also small and painted delicatly with red lipstick. Her cheeks had a faint blush. She put her hand over her small chest as she rested from her long run up the hill before smiling beautifully at the group. "Hey guys!" She pipped, her voice rang like a musical bell. "Welcome to Okaito!"

"So that's what this place is called.." Haruhi scratched her chin as she mummbled.

"You didn't even know where we were going in the first place?" Kyon shouted at her.

"..Well, who're these cute people you have here?" The stranger sung. She flung herself at Mikuru, and started petting her cheek while Mikuru whimpered softly.

"Oh, that's the SOS Brigade!" Haruhi said with pride. She walked over to the group and placed her arm on Nagato's shoulder. "This is Yuki, the smiley one over there is Koizumi, the cute one on the verge of tears is Mikuru-chan, and the other one is Kyon."

The girl unlatched herself from the trembling-Mikuru and placed her hands on her hips with a smile, looking about the group of high schoolers. "I've heard tons about you guys. My name's Nora! You guys will be staying at my place over winter break. You'll have loads of fun!" Her small lips curved into a bright smile as she pivoted on her left foot. "Now let's get going! There's tons to show all of you!"

Nora had showed the group all over the small town of Okaito. It was a peaceful little village, where everyone knew eachother. Many had stopped to great Nora as they walked, giving the group friendly smiles as a welcome. One building in particular, Nora had stopped to tell the group all about. It was the village shrine.

"Here's Okaito's shrine.. No one's aloud to go inside. It's been here since the stone-age days, and only a few know what it's like inside." She said, her usually happy voice now soft.

"Why isn't no one aloud in there?" Haruhi asked.

"In Okaito... We worship a certain God, and this is the place where they say his spirit sleeps. There's the old legend, that every 4th full moon of the year someone from the village is sacrificed for the shrine God... That way he continues to watch over our village. Inside that shrine... Are a bunch of torture tools from thousands of years ago. I don't know why anyone would want to go inside." Nora said, shivering softly.

"That's creepy..." Haruhi said, a disgusted look on her face.

"S-Suzumiya-San..." Mikuru whimpered. "This place doesn't seem very safe..."

"Of course it's safe here~" Nora sang, her voice full of cheer once more. "Don't you guys worry about anything. Nothing like that has happened in years!"

"See Mikuru-Chan? Everythings A-okay!" Haruhi smiled at Mikuru.

Nora's mansion was very elegant. It took a while to get there, since it was far into town, but it was well worth it. The entry was beautiful, it looked like a scene from one of those movies about totally rich people. "My dad'll take your coats, and then we can find rooms for you all." Nora told them, as they handed their coats to the friendly man by the front door.

They walked down a long hallway to the left, where there were at least 13 doors. "There's plenty of rooms, as you can see, but at least a third of them aren't finished. So.. One person will have to stay in my room, if that's okay." Nora informed them, smiling brightly as always.

Koizumi, the one man who was always striving to please, stepped forward without a second though. "I don't mind staying with you, if that's okay." He smiled at her.

"Sure! Sounds good. You don't have to worry about seeing me shower or anything, my room has a seperate room for you in it." Nora turned to the rest of the group and pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. "Here are the keys, you guys can pick out your own rooms. I don't care if you guys want to share or not, but each room is different. It's pretty cool~ I meet you all back here in a few minutes once I get Koizumi settled in." And with that, Haruhi, Kyon, Yuki and Mikuru dashed off to find their rooms while Nora stood with Itsuki.

"So.. Koizumi-"  
"Please ma'am, feel free to call me by my given name, Itsuki." He smiled at her gently.

"..Itsuki-kun. You like my cousin, don't you?" She asked, looking off in a different direction.

"Miss Suzumiya? Well.. She is a very interesting person.. I respect her." He said, his eyes widened with surprise.

"I can tell that you love her. It's really obvious. You try hard to please her, and the way you look at her really gives it away." Nora laughed softly.

"R-Really...?" Koizumi asked, a slightly shocked look upon his face.

"No one else can tell, I'm just good at reading people." She turned backwards and placed her index finger over her lips swiftly. "It's our little secret, I won't tell anyone."


End file.
